How to Extend the Life of a Car Transmission

Your car's transmission is just as important as your car's engine. A strong, powerful engine is meaningless without a properly functioning transmission. To keep your car's transmission in fine working order, and to ensure that your car's transmission lasts as long as possible, follow these steps.

Instructions

1. Check and change your transmission fluid regularly. Your car's transmission depends on its transmission fluid for proper performance and lubrication. A lack of transmission fluid or fluid that is dirty can lead to increased transmission component wear and overheating, both of which can significantly reduce the lifespan of your car's transmission. Check your owner's manual for specifics on how often to check and replace your car's transmission fluid.

2. Avoid downshifting. Many people, in an effort to avoid using their brakes when slowing down, downshift and use the transmission as a braking mechanism instead of their brakes. Doing this places unnecessary stress and wear on the gears of the transmission. Brake pads are cheap; transmission parts are not. Use your brakes for stopping and slowing down, not your transmission.

3. Use the right gear(s). Whether your car is an automatic or a stick shift, making sure that your transmission is in an appropriate gear for the speed that you are driving in is of great importance to the longevity of your transmission. Overdrive should be used only at highway speeds; low gears, usually first or second, should be used only while driving up steep hills or when pulling extremely heavy loads.

4. Don't speed. Driving fast, whether speeding at highway speeds or sprinting away from a green light, increases the wear and tear on your car's transmission. Ease off on the accelerator and take a more balanced, measured approach to driving. Your car's transmission will thank you for it!

Tips & Warnings

• Never ignore signs such as a transmission that slips or makes noise.

• Transmission leaks can cause big damage if left unrepaired. Be aware of any transmission fluid on your driveway or underneath your parked car.